From the Bride... Joe proposed on a hiking trail that runs past our new home in Ridgefield, Connecticut, just as it began to snow. He said that this was the place where we would begin our new life as a family together, and so began the year and a half of planning that led to our incredible wedding day.

Joe grew up in the Bronx, and I am from southwestern Connecticut. We wanted to have a traditional ceremony at my parent's church in Bedford, New York, and to choose a venue where both our families could easily be present. By selecting Boscobel, we were able to marry my desire for a garden wedding with my husband's desire for a water view – one of his few wedding requests!

The natural beauty of the house and surrounding gardens inspired us to focus on organic, unstructured floral arrangements and seasonal colors. I am an art teacher, so color and design are incredibly important to me. We stole our color scheme from the apple trees, roses, and grape vines on the property, incorporating greenery, neutrals, and blushes with rich merlot and fig hues. Our florist, Jeanette Kleitz of True Florette, immediately saw our vision, and we worked together to build upon this concept that she brought to life so beautifully.

Capturing this amazing day was also incredibly important to us, and we were so lucky to work with Elena Wolfe, who captured all of these gorgeous moments and details in digital and film photographs.

Early in our relationship, Joe and I found that music was a shared passion of ours, despite us having wildly different taste. What we listened to in the car on long drives became the soundtrack of our relationship, and we wanted to incorporate these important songs into our day. Between walking down the aisle to "that Mandy Moore song from A Walk To Remember" ("Only Hope"), dancing our first dance to Brad Paisley's "Then," and making sure that we heard everything from new country to classic rock, we wanted to tell our story through song. We had the pleasure of having the Devonshire Players and Around Town Entertainment provide live music during our cocktail hour and reception, and they knocked it out of the park. We barely left the dance floor once the reception began!

One recommendation I have for all couples on their big day is to take a few minutes to step away from the reception with your new spouse. One of the fondest memories I have from my wedding day was a quiet walk my husband and I took through the apple orchard at Boscobel. We were able to watch the party going on under the tent from afar and absorb all of the love and excitement that had been poured out to us all day long.

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day. The weather was absolute perfection, and we could not have been more excited to share this day with our family and friends. Watching the sun set on the water from our cocktail hour and tented reception was a dream realized. Hearing the heartfelt toasts from our siblings and seeing every person we love all together in the same room really made our day special.